Pinocchio's Family Secrets of the Ringmaster
by CoralSnakeUSA
Summary: Pinocchio and Lampwick must become Geppeto's "James Bonds" to discover the Ringmaster's secrets when The Ringmaster takes Pleasure Island Collodi from him through a legal claim.
1. Geppetto Loses a Dream

Pinocchio's Family - Secret of the Ringmaster

Chapter 1 - Geppetto Loses a Dream

Pleasure Island Collidi, Italy 1882:

The last three months of 1881 were very eventful for Geppetto, his adoptive older boy who was once a donkey and his adoptive younger boy who was once a puppet. It started out with the afore mentioned puppet coming to life in response to a wish upon a star and it came to fruition several months, two boys, four distinct worlds and two Monstros later in what he was looking on now from a see through part of the circular stained glass window that was the target of bricks from boys destined to be salt mine and circus donkeys. What was outside it was a now truly happy place where orphans and unwanted children went to school and helped to run the great carnival midway to provided the money to sustain the place. As opposed to other orphanages and workhouses Gepetto saw to it that Pleasure Island would be as much like a large family as possible and not just another drab beurocratic State institution that didn't care for its charges.

Indeed Geppetto's adoptive sons Romeo who was more popularly known as Lampwick and Pinocchio the former puppet were encouraged to attend school and Junior Woodchuck meetings on the connected Pleasure Islands rather than on the mainland of either of the worlds of which they were a part. Their duck boy friends. Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck and Doofus McQuack also started attending Junior Woodchucks meetings in the Pleasure Island Duckburg meeting house so that they could remain in a patrol with their new friends from the other world. Pinocchio even continued to perform I've Got No Strings as a guest performer

In Stromboli's puppet shows from time to time and still made good money for the operation at it as people realized that even though he was a real boy now he was originally the stringless puppet they had enjoyed before and still had his spirit.

It was a week after Christmas in the beginning of the first month of 1882 for the Collodi world that the bad news came. That news was that someone was making a legal claim on Pleasure Island Collodi. That someone however seemed to be a complete unknown. The claim was being made by the usual holding company with no traceable address that indicated a crooked reason was behind it. However the mysterious claimant promised to keep the island operating in the purpose that Geppetto set for it.

The claimant became obvious when he showed up with a Collodi policeman and an eviction notice. Like the policeman the claimant wore a uniform but it was of a marching band style and was topped with a yellow short crowned top hat. He was also of East African origin. The claimant was the Ringmaster.

"Sorry, Geppetto." the Policeman said. "It turns out that the city had no right to sell this place to you. "We did not know of this adoptive son of the Coachman when we did. Since he can not be implicated in any of the Coachman's now well known crimes. He is however making no claims on the Pleasure Island on the other side of your barrel ride."

The cop then whispered into Geppetto's ear. "I recommend that you go to the other side of the barrel ride. This creep is going to commit a crime sooner or later and when he does the city and the charities tied to this island will see to it that your claim is validated again."

"But why doesn't he want both of the Islands?", They are pretty much a matched set now. "Geppetto whispered back."

"My guess would be that he heard about that Junior Woodchucks organization that officially owns the other Island from his adoptive father the Coachman and doesn't want to tangle with them in a court of law. They seem to have quite a bit of pull on the other side of that barrel ride for a simple youth club." the policeman returned.

With that the cop went back to the main entrance to Pleasure Island and passed the open oak doors. Geppetto went to an out of action carnival game on the midway and took its barkers megaphone into his hand. "Romeo, Pinocchio, Jiminy, John Worthington, Gideon and Strromboli, meet me at the barrel ride."

The barrel ride was in a white ball shaped building at the center of the park which was essentially the old 8 Ball saloon repainted and refitted to accommodate travel between the Collodi and Duckburg worlds by means of a barrel ride similar to the one on the Duckburg Pleasure Island which was now similarly housed in a white ball shaped building.

Inside the building Geppetto gave the members of his immediate family the bad news. "We've lost the Collodi Pleasure Island. It turns out that the Coachman's adoptive son, the Ringmaster had a prior legal claim to this place. We have to surrender it to him and go to Duckburg."

"But the blue fairy told us we had earned BOTH places." Pinocchio said. "Certainly she will have a way to resolve this."

"Unfortunately the Blue Fairy is not the law." Geppetto returned.

"Well neither is that Ringmaster creep." Jiminy said getting ready to take his usual place under Pinocchio's Tyrolean hat for travel between worlds. "You can bet that he is going to resume the business of turning boys into donkeys and selling them."

"But how could he ever do that?" Lampwick asked. "Magica De Spell's red star was what was responsible got that change and that was destroyed at the end of last year."

"You forget lamp wick," Jiminy said. "This Ringmaster has magic of his own separate from the red star or Magica. Indeed he was probably the source of the magic that always seemed to attract the red star to the Coachman no matter what world he fell into."

"Well," John Worthington said. "I certainly don't want to continue to bark for this place if it is going back into the boy to donkey business."

"I think none of us do." Geppetto said. "That's why I called you all here. We are going to Duckburg and then use that Junior Woodchucks Guidebook modified by the Blue Fairy to try to reset the connection on the Pleasure Island Duckburg barrel ride for my toy making shop in Collodi. I've never renounced ownership to that property and it will be our headquarters in the Collodi world until we can get Pleasure Island back."

With that they all passed into Duckburg's world. Once there they saw Doofus McQuack waiting. "Sorry," Geppetto told Doofus. "The Collodi Pleasure Island has been reclaimed by the Ringmaster. If we want to get back into Collodi's world again we will have to re set this ride for my old Toy making shop. I will Need Huey's Junior Woodchucks Guidebook again. Find Huey and tell him to bring it here bookmarked with the information about Gepetto's toy makers shop bookmarked."

Doofus never came into contact with the Ringmaster but instinctively knew that the person was too dangerous to have charge of Pleasure Island in Collodi for very long. He went to find Huey Immediately.

Huey was with his brothers Dewey and Louie shooting at some moving targets at Lampwick's sling shot shooting gallery when he got the news of the loss of Pleasure Island Collodi from Doofus.

"Looks like we are going into action again." Huey said.

"Sure does," Doofys returned. "Geppetto wants your copy of the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook with the Information about his old toy making shop in Collodi bookmarked."

"He certainly is entitled to it as an adult leader in the Junior Woodchucks but what does he hope to achieve with it."

"A change in the connection from the blue star connection to Pleasure Island Collodi to the toy making shop. He wants to use the old shop as a headquarters on the Collodi side until Pleasure Island can be restored to his possession. My guess is that he will eventually want us to see if the Ringmaster is restoring the Island's old boy to donkey business and if so how."

"I doubt that the Ringmaster is making donkeys out of boys again." Huey returned. "I think he just saw Pleasure Island making a profit in its original use as an amusement park and decided to take it with his legal claim for that reason alone. There is just no way he can be making donkeys from boys without the red star

And that was destroyed months ago."

"But what if there is another method the Ringmaster has of causing the change?" Doofus asked.

"If there is than I'm afraid that Pinocchio and Lampwick have another mission on their hands." Huey said, "And one we can't be involved with since the three duck boys are too well known in Collodi now.

"So are they." Doofus returned.

"Yes but they can be made to resemble ordinary Collodi boys while we can't." Huey said taking the Guidebook out of his uniform pocket and bookmarking the information Geppetto requested. "I sure hope this works. The toy makers shop is the only way of Getting Lampwick and Pinocchio back into Collodi." He gave the book to Doofus. Doofus ran with it in the direction of the ball shaped building covering the barrel ride."

"Here is the book with the information you wanted bookmarked." Doofus said handing it to Geppetto. Already the Blue Fairy's blue star was out of the barrel ride and the Guidebook Replaced it. Geppetto then walked through the ride and found himself in the familiar environs of his toymaker's shop. "It worked!," Geppetto shouted, "Everybody come on over."

"Not us." Huey and Doofus said. "We've already discussed the idea of duck boys in Collodi alerting the Ringmaster that a new connection between the worlds had been made. If he's turning boys into donkeys by some unknown means you guys will have to handle it yourselves.

The first indication of the Ringmaster's possible activities on Pleasure Island occurred when a woman from one of the charities that supported the Island's operations for children when Geppetto ran it came to the toy ship door.

"It's good you've come back from wherever you went when that Ringmaster person took over Pleasure Island. Strange things have been happening there since you were forced out. "Girls and Adults of any kind are now excluded even as amusement park visitors, the school has been closed down and all manner of tobacco, alcohol, gambling games and other such things have been imported to the place. It's really beginning to look the way it was rumored to look on Friday nights when the Coachman owned the place."

"There can be only one conclusion then." Geppetto said to the woman. "The Ringmaster is using the Island for a boy to donkey machine again. The question that has to be answered is how he is doing it. I can reveal now that that phase of the operation is over with that the Coachman used a red magical star to do it but my own sons Pinocchio and Romeo destroyed that star several months ago. It can NOT be the source of the Ringmaster's boy to donkey power if indeed he does have it this time."

"Whatever the source of the Ringmaster's power is he certainly must be stopped in whatever he is doing to boys on that island." the woman said.

"I realize that." Geppetto returned. "And I also realize that I have to put my sons in harm's way to do it again. It once again seems that only boys under twenty one have access to Pleasure Island again."

"Well tell them to be careful over there." the woman returned. "I would really hate to see them become donkeys, puppets or perhaps even worse."

"I would too but there is no other way." Geppetto said. "Pinocchio and Lampwick must face the temptations of the evil version of Pleasure Island again to bring the good one back. The Ringmaster MUST be caught in a crime like making boys into donkeys for me to regain control."

Geppetto then addressed Pinocchio and Lmapwick. "Remember that law enforce spy that we met in the 1971 world, James Bond I think his name was. Well think of yourselves as my James Bonds. You must Infiltrate the Ringmaster's Pleasure Island and find out if he is turning boys into donkeys and if so how."

Preparations for this trip to Pleasure Island were different from any of the ones in the Red Star missions. In this case there was no way Pinocchio could wear either his Junior Woodchuck uniform or his Tyrolean outfit. Both of those were too well known to the Ringmaster. He had to be made to look like the typical orphan or unwanted street urchin yet still have a hat for Jiminy to ride in as both boys considered Jiminy to be indispensable in the environment of a Pleasure Island run by the Coachman or his adoptive son, the Ringmaster. In his new urchin outfit Pinocchio wore long pants for the first time in his life and found them to be rather binding on his legs but also very warm despite their ragged appearance. A raggedy shirt and vest with a derby type hat with a compartment for Jiminy's matchbox and well worn shoes completed Pinocchio's new ensemble. Lampwick was dressed pretty much the same as during his first trip to Pleasure Island when he became a donkey under the power of the red star. After this hiding of their real identities

Pinocchio and Lampwick knew the rest of the procedure by heart by now. Go to the Crossroads, The Coach departs at midnight.


	2. The Realm of the Ringmaster

Chapter 2 - The Realm of the Ringmaster

The Corssroads, Collodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

Both Pinocchio and Lampwick took long naps in the toy makers shop after school so that they would be wide awake for their departure time of eleven o'clock. This departure time was chosen so that they would be able to get to the Crossroads in plenty of time for the coach to arrive. Both of then were dressed as typical street urchins so as to fit in with the boys waiting for the coach. The rest of the boys waiting for the coach were typical to the types who waited for it when the Coachman himself ran it.

However when the coach finally arrived it was not the simple red stagecoach it had been so many times before. This new coach for the most part still retained its brown wooden color with the exception of the two giant signs on both sides of it carrying the Ringmaster's portrait and the giant words PLEASURE ISLAND

next to it. Rather than the Coachman, the Ringmaster or a minion the new coach was driven by a man in a black and white marching band type uniform with a hat that resembled the stinger of a deathstalker scorpion more than anything else Pinocchio could think of two others with the same uniform and hat were inside the coach. These latter ones literally grabbed the boys one by one and seated them in the coach. Since this coach operated six days a week rather than the old one day a week schedule there were actually fewer boys

Waiting and the coach accommodated them all. It was then that Pinocchio and Lampwick realized there was something truly amiss on Pleasure Island again. Geppetto would never have a coach with uniformed boy grabbers with scorpion sting hats run the transport for boys to the Island.

After being rather roughly handled by these goons Pinocchio looked them over very carefully during the coach ride. The were certainly normal men and not minions but their way of handling boys was certainly minion like. The coachman at least gave boys a chance to change their minds but these new uniformed goons seemed to have the philosophy that once headed for Pleasure Island always headed for Pleasure Island and treated the boys accordingly. The coach had a luxurious interior with seating for up to ten boys and two of the uniformed goons.

However the presence of the uniformed goons instead of minions being associated with the Ringmaster told Pinocchio and Lampwick one thing. They were not facing the red star again this time. If the Ringmaster had magic that turned boys into donkeys it came form another source.

The coach followed the familiar path through several tunnels and over a bridge until it arrived at the mainland dock for the steamboat to Pleasure island. The steamboat was also decked out with the new signs featuring the Ringmaster's portrait and the words PLEASURE ISLAND in giant letters. Once again the boys were ushered rather roughly from the coach to the boat. It was almost as if the uniformed toughs with the scorpion sting hats knew that they were destined to be some other kind of an animal and handled themselves. This rough treatment by the goons told Pinocchio and Lampwick most of what they wanted to know. The Ringmaster was definitely turning boys into donkeys on that island again. The only real question to be answered was how he was doing it.

Ahead the Island itself, a seeming rock castle in the sea became larger and larger as the boat neared it. One could gradually see the great oak doors were wide open and waiting for the new arrivals. The boat eventually docked at the docking causeway and the boys ran out of it and into the park as soon as the gangplank was let down. Pinocchio and Lampwick took a more leasurly stroll onto the midway. Most of the park remained as Geppeto had it redesigned except for the roller coaster. It was originally an open air roller coaster the way that Geppetto designed it. Now most of it except for a small area of track between the entrance to the exit was now inside a large grotesque building in which that aforementioned entrance and exit resembled giant clown faces whose teeth were giant automated doors. Above these grotesque faces another of the giant PLEASURE ISLAND featuring the Ringmaster's portrait signs spanned them.

Pinocchio and Lampwick also saw that mist of the attractions designed to promote "jackass" behavior on the part of the boys were on a smaller scale than the Coachman's original red star cursed version of the park. Rather than a whole mansion being open for destruction this particular attraction was reduced to a "game" where the boys could break stained glass windows that replaced Lampwick's sling shot shooting gallery on the Collodi side of the barrel ride. Other attractions allowed the theft of toys and junk food. Tobacco Row was also smaller and simply occupied the booths on the opposite side of the midway from the from the "jackass" behavior promoting games. Instead of there being a Rough House the school was completely shut down and fights allowed to erupt on the midway itself. Another thing about the school was that it appeared to be linked to the roller coaster and to a newly built sea port on the southwestern part of the island. All of this was well hidden by the more harmless carnival games that Pleasure Island continued to run for regular visitors.

Since the Island had regular carnival visitors as well as boys coming in for permanent residency. Pinocchio and Lampwick decided to return to the mainland with them. Their suspicions quickly revolved around the roller coaster and the school being somehow involved with a new boy to donkey conversion process. They would spend the rest of their time on Pleasure Island keeping a watch on the roller coaster. For the rest of their time there nothing suspicious happened with the roller coaster however. All the boys who went into one clown mouth came out the other as boys. And none of the coaster's cars or the boys in them performed any kind of a "disappearing act" suggesting a re routing to the school.

"I don't care what we're seeing, Pinokey." Lampwick said. "I know by the way we were being handled to get here that boys are being changed into donkeys on that obscenity."

"I'm with you on that." Pinocchio said. "They probably do it after Pleasure Island closes to the general public but stays open for the boys who live here or are brought here with the new coaches. I suggest that we take a ride on it."

"No way." Lampwick said. "I've been a donkey before during the Coachman's rule of this place and I have no desire to be one for this new creep running it."

"I doubt you will." Pinocchio returned. "They will not be changing boys to donkeys while the park is open to the public. If we put ourselves in a car with paying costomers and pay for the ride ourselves we will be perfectly safe. Paying customers have parents that expect them to come back from this place."

"Just what are you looking for that would require us to risk riding that thing?" Lampwick asked.

"Specifically I'm guessing there is a second track on that roller coaster now which is one of the things this new building over it is designed to conceal." Pinocchio said. "One connecting the main roller coaster's new building to the school which I believe functions as the new stables and shipping point for the donkeys the boys become."

"Well if you think that thing is safe when the park is open to the boy children of the general public then I'll go along with you." Lampwick said "It's better we're donkeys together than having one of us be a lone one."

Pinocchio saw the idea that he had to pay the ten cent price of a ticket this time around pretty much proved that the facilities for changing boys to donkeys if they were indeed there were not operational for this ride.

He and Lampwick took a car that was occupied by two paying boys in obviously upper middle class attire who obviously had families waiting and would not be turned to donkeys and thereby bring aboyt a police investigation nof the new Pleasure Island regime.

The ride started when their car passed through the left "mouth" of the new building covering the roller coaster. So far it was the standard ride made by Geppetto with two small hills at its beginning followed by about seven more that increased in height toward the midpoint of the track and decreased in height toward the exit in a circular pattern. However the track was all covered up so as to give a feeling of semi darkness to the ride which a misty cloud like substance added to the claustrophobic feeling the whole new version of the roller coaster created. While the Ringmaster or the roller coaster operator probably promoted the idea that the darkness and misty atmosphere added to the "thrill" of the roller coaster Pinocchio and Lampwick felt that the real reason for it was to hide things that the Ringmaster and his black uniformed scorpion sting hatted toughs didn't want regular park visitors to see, Like a second track leading to and from what used to be the school as a for instance. The ride ended when the car exited the right "mouth".

"Well that was a wasted ten cents." Pinocchio said. "The Ringmaster rebuilt that thing so you can barley see anything in there."

"Well you didn't think he was going to make it easy for you, didn't you Pinokey." Lampwick returned. "I really think it is time to meld ourselves in with the regular customers here and get out and report what little we do know to your father. If I were still a gambling boy I would lay bets down that that roller coaster is designed to turn boys to donkeys somewhere along its track then divert them to stables in the old school for shipment just as you suggest. The only real issue left is how the Ringmaster does it."

"I don't know but I think it might have something to do with the mist." Pinocchio said. "There is probably one kind used that is harmless for the paying customers and another kind used for changing boys into donkeys when the Ringmaster is doing his real business."

As soon as the paying customers heard the bell telling them they would have to board the steam boat for Collodi Pinocchio and Lampwick joined them and thus left Pleasure Island with their load of information for Geppetto.

The toy maker's shop, Collodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

Geppetto was surprised to see Pinocchio and Lampwick returning to the toy shop. It meant only one thing. They did have information that the Ringmaster had a method of turning boys into donkeys on that island.

"Let's have it." Geppetto said.

"We think it's the roller coaster." Lampwick returned. "The Ringmaster has set up a real weird enclosure around it that gives it a dark misty feeling and we also believe that he has set up a second track of it leading to the school which he is using for shipping purposes."

"You mean you actually rode it in its new condition knowing it might change you to donkeys." Geppetto said.

"Not quite." Pinocchio said. "We took the precaution of riding with a couple of paying rich boys whose dissapearance would bring about a police investegation and paying ourselves for the one ride we took but couldn't find anything to confirm what we thank is going on with the NON paying customers on that thing. It was just too dark and misty in the new enclosure around the track.

"It would not seem then that the main issue is that the Ringmaster is changing boys into donkeys using that roller coaster. The issue would seem to be how he is doing it. You boys will have to go back again. This time as paying customers in broad daylight as they certainly will not let you back on the midnight bad boy's coach again." In the meantime get some sleep. You have another big day tomorrow what with school on the Duckburg followed by another trip to Pleasure Island.

**Next - Infultrating the Ringmaster's administration building.**

**Note - Those of you who have seen the TV movie Geppetto will notice that I modeled the Ringmaster's potentially boy to donkey transforming roller coaster after the one in that movie.**


	3. The Secrets of the Roller Coaster

Chapter 3 - The Secrets of the Roller Coaster

The main port of Colodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

The paying customers for Pleasure Island were not taken by coach to the secret port like potentiaql donkey boys were. They had to reach the Island by its official steam ferries which steamed between the Island and Collodi's official port from seven o'clock in the morning to nine o, clock in the evening everyday except for the Roman Catholic Sabbath on Sunday. The official steamers looked much like the secret one with gigantic PLEASURE ISLAND signs bearing the Ringmaster' portrait on them on both sides of them. However they were not crewed by the men in the black uniforms with the scorpion sting hats but rather with a pretty normal looking ferry's boat's crew. They also had a gentler way if handling their charges then the Ringmaster's guards. In fact many of these official Ferry operators were still men Geppetto had hired to run the ferries and were in all probability totally oblivious to the fact that Pleasure Island might be being used to turn boys into donkeys again.

It was through two round tickets to one of these ferries that Pinocchio and Lampwick continued their mission of Espionage against the Ringmaster. The main worry during this ferry ride to Pleasure Island would be that one of the ferry crewman might recognize them as the adopted sons of Geppetto but if any of them did they kept quiet about it probably knowing they were here to try to find something that could put the Ringmaster in prison and restore Geppetto's ownership of the island. This time they were dressed as genuine playing customers for the Island's amusement park midway in upper middle class attire consisting of boy's sized derby hats (with the usual compartment inside Pinocchio's for Jiminy Cricket), grey sweaters over white shirts with black long pants and shoes all well fitting as befitting the look of a couple of Pleasure Island's temporary paying customers.

Once Pinocchio and Lampwick reached the park midway they once again looked in the direction of the roller coaster. Its two giant clown faces at the entrance and exit of the ride were as grotesque as ever and just seemed to blatantly advertise the ride's real purpose. However that was not the goal for Pinocchio and lamp wick this time. Rather it was the great building at the rear of the park which was first the Model Home Open for Destruction under the Coachman's ownership of the Island and then Pinocchio's and Lampwicks home under Gepetto's ownership. It still had the look of a glorious mansion and office facility with the exception of the Ringmasters portrait on the garish PLEASURE ISLAND sign that was now a predominant part of it. However Pinocchio and Lampwick knew one thing. If they couldn't uncover the secrets of the roller coaster by riding the roller coaster itself the only place to find them was in that building. They soon walked off the midway and past the white ball shaped building that held the connection with Duckburg in it. Needless to say that building was locked down with both its own lock and a heavy padlock from the Ringmaster as well to assure no escapes from his island by that route.

Pinocchio and Lampwick walked ever closer to the administration center keeping an eye out for any of the Ringmaster's black uniformed guards with the scorpion sting hats. Once there Lampwick whispered. "Now I think we should gain access through the side that Geppetto built for fire and other emergencies. My guess is that the Ringmaster does not know about it yet."

"Somehow I have my doubts that there is anything on this island that the Ringmaster does not know anything about." Pinocchio returned. "But still the side entrance is probably the best.

The side emergency entrance and exit to the administration building was on the building's left side and well concealed by trees and decorative bushes. "Lampwick tried his key in the entrances lock and it worked. "Good so far." He said. "If the Ringmaster had known about this entrance he would have surely changed the lock on it." He stepped on inside and Pinocchio followed him.

There was not very much but a doorless corridor for the first 20 feet beyond the emergency entrance but it ended in a larger doored corridor that was obviously the residential quarters. Needless to say since this part of the building was once their home Pinocchio and Lampwick were "at home" in this part of the administration building and knew their way around quite well. Basically the whole area consisted of three suites. One was once occupied by Geppeto and his family and was now the home quarters for the Ringmaster. One used to be the home quarters of John Worthington and Gideon and the other was the home quarters for Stromboli and his marionettes.

"Naturally Lampwick took Geppetto's former quarters to inspect first as this would be the most obvious residence for the Ringmaster now of the three suites."

The quarters were decorated in pretty much the same garish fashion as the rest of the island was getting decorated in. Everything had an aura of opulence about it that Geppetto never would have even tolerated when he was running the place. The whole place had the aura of a lot of filthy lucre about it and that filthy lucre in all probability coming from the same source as the now jailed in Duckburg Coachman's, donkeys that used to be boys.

It was Pinocchio that found the new door in what used to be his family's suite. This door was pretty much a plain oak door that occupied a wall at the very end of the suite. It had no lock on it so Pinocchio opened it and entered. Lampwick soon followed. Behind that door was a stairway leading to a dully lit corridor that seemed more cave than corridor. It seemed to lead away from the administration building in the very bedrock of the Island itself. At its end was another stairway leading up to another plain oak door without a lock. This one led into what used to be the school lunchroom. However rather than the lunchroom tables the room was occupied by stables some already with donkeys in them. Some were regular stables with complete donkeys in them and others that were more like prison cells had anthropomorphic donkeys that had not completely converted in them with the guards with the scorpion sting hats looking on.

"We'll put these through the "special treatment" track on the roller coaster again when the boys go to sleep." One of the guards said to another. "They will definitely be donkeys then."

"But why are you doing this to us." one of the donkey boys asked. "And more importantly HOW, the curse of this place was supposed to have been destroyed months ago."

"The how is none of your business," the guard snapped back at the donkey boy. "As to the why, its simple. You've had your good times the same old way, you PAY for them THE SAME OLD WAY!, All bad little boys make JACKASSES out of themselves at the end!"

"But Geppetto, Pinocchio and Lampwick never did this to us." the donkey boy cried."

"Well mister goodie two shoes and his two little Junior Woodiechucks aren't in charge of this place anymore." the guard returned. "This place is being run by the adopted son of its original owner and in the original owners spirit and ways now shut up or I'll knock you silly before putting you back on the roller coaster."

"So it is the roller coaster." Pinocchio said. "There is a secondary track in it probably leading here that is used for "special treatment" which seems to be some kind of code for changing boys into donkeys."

"You've got that one right." Lampwick said. "Now it's time to leave this place and get the next ferry out of here."

"But we still know only that the changing of boys to donkeys is being done again and that somehow the roller coaster is the means of doing it. We still don't know HOW it is being done."

"I think there is only one person with the answer to that question." Jiminy's voice came from under Pinocchio's derby.

"You mean the Blue Fairy." Pinocchio returned.

"Yes," Jiminy returned "I'm pretty sure she is knowledgeable of the use of magic in the 19th century in this world, including that of the Ringmaster.

"Then why didn't she call us to this latest mission on Pleasure Island like she did for all the previous ones?" Pinocchio asked.

"My guess there is that she feels that we should do things on our own initiative rather than depending on being called by a magical source all the time that trouble comes our way." Lampwick said. "As she told us magic can't change the law that gave the Ringmaster title to this place over Geppetto. Only finding out that he has put it to the same criminal purposes as his adoptive father can do that and that we have done. However right now we do need the Fairy to get the last bit of evidence, HOW that roller coaster works."

With that Lampwick descended the stairs and up the corridor in the rock of the island with Pinocchio following. They wend down the emergency corridor that Geppetto set up and out of the administration building. From there they strolled down the midway as if nothing had happened through the park entrance and onto a waiting ferry for Collodi.

One of the guards in black uniform with the scorpion sting hats announced the news to the Ringmaster just as the park closed to the paying customers and the Ringmaster prepared the roller coaster for use with the "special treatment" track only for the remainder of the night.

"It is my duty to tell you that we have been invaded and the invaders may know about the "special treatment" track on the roller coaster." the guard said. "We were getting some boys who had not fully changed ready for another ride on the "special treatment" track tonight when I discovered some boy's footprints in the administration building access corridor to the stables."

"Let me guess," The Ringmaster snapped. "The footprints would be from a boy about thirteen and another one about ten or eleven."

"Yes, How did you know that." the Guard returned.

"Simple, that would be the approximate age description that Geppetto's boys would answer to." the Ringmaster said. "They were a thorn in my adoptive father's flesh from the moment they first came to Pleasure Island. Now it seems that those two little Junior Woodchucks have made me their next little project."

The Ringmaster took four photographs from his pocket. Two of them were of Pinocchio and Lampwick in their Tyrolean outfits and the others were of Pinocchio and Lampwick in Junior Woodchuck uniform.

"Make Western style wanted posters with these and place them all over the Island." the Ringmaster ordered. "Give as a reward the twenty extra pieces of candy which of course actually means that we don't use the "special treatment" track on the roller coaster for five extra days if those two spies are found by one of the boys and handed over to me, except for using it on THEM of course. My adoptive father always wanted to give the "special treatment" to that Pinocchio in particular and that would be a perfect payback for Pinocchio having him put in that duck world jail."

Geppetto's toy making shop, Collodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

As usual the Wishing Star was the first of all the stars to show in the night sky. It was its usual bright blue and appeared as a Christmas star like cross. Pinocchio and Lampwick were probably more familiar with this star and its wormholes to assorted different worlds than any other resident of Collodi, even others whi have had wishes granted through it. They knew all too well that it was only through their matriarchal resident of that star, the Blue Fairy that the final secrets of Pleasure Island's revised roller coaster would come.

Lampwick gave Pinocchio the honor of making the wish for the information about this final secret of the roller coaster. "Pinocchio went to the open window and made the wish.

Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight.

**Next - the Blue Fairy gives Pinocchio , Lampwick, Jiminy and Geppetto the astonishing truth and history of the Ringmaster's new way of changing boys into donkeys on Pleasure Island's roller coaster.**


	4. Secret of the Lost Library

Chapter 4 - Secret of the Lost Library

As soon as Pinocchio made the wish one of the smaller lights came out of the Wishing Star and became the Blue Fairy in his and Lampwick's room in the toy maker's shop.

"For what reason do you call me." The Fairy asked Pinocchio. "You know I can't chanhe the law regarding the ownership of Pleasure Island in this world. It is entirely up to you to do that by finding out if the Ringmaster is up to his father's evil deeds there."

"That's just it." Pinocchio returned. "We found out that the Ringmaster is continuing his adoptive father's evil deeds through something he is doing with Pleasure Island's roller coaster. We know that he is changing boys into donkeys again but we don't know how he is doing it. That's where we need answers from you."

"I see." the Fairy said. "For sure the source of the Ringmaster's power is not the red star but there is another powerful source of magic he might be using."

"What is it." Pinocchio asked."

"What you are about to hear will be a very interesting story relating to the probable source of the Ringmaster's power." The Fairy answered. "You do know about the Library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt don't you."

"Only on the Duckburg side." Pinocchio returned. "The main library was destroyed by the various conquests of Egypt but copies of it persisted one of which was condensed presumably magically into the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook."

"Yes, that is the lost Library's fate in Duckburg's world." The Fairy said. "In this world however it met a rather different fate. Here the first Roman conquerors of Egypt divided the Library of Alexandria into two parts. One called the "light" part contained all the library's practical knowledge such as ancient mechanics science, technology, philosophy and the like and the other called the "dark" part which was the library's scrolls and volumes on magic and sorcery. That was the part of the Library slated for destruction but that part was stolen by magicians interested in keeping the largest and most comprehensive library of magical knowledge ever compiled intact. It was presumed to have been entombed in the land the Egyptians called Nubia, the Bible called Ethiopia and current geography calls East Africa."

"The Ringmaster comes from East Africa." Lampwick said. "You mean that you think that Pleasure Island's latest donkey curse comes out of a volume of this "dark" part of the ancient Library of Alexandria! If that's true then there may just be something in the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook to counter it. After all a lot of that comes from the same library on the Duckburg side."

"Yes Romeo." The Fairy said. "I think that it is entirely within the realm of possibility that the Ringmaster found the tomb of the "dark" side of the Lost Library on his own home continent and is using one of its lycanthropy curses to bring about the changing of boys into donkeys again. You say he is using the park's roller coaster ride to do this?"

"Yes," Pinocchio said. "He has a second track on the ride that links to the school which he is using as stables for full donkeys and prison cells for semi human ones who haven't completed the change on their first roller coaster run."

"Then it is possible for Geppetto to get the Collodi Pleasure Island back." the fairy said. "But once again it is entirely up to you. The law is not going to look kindly upon or continue to license a children's institution to anyone who is changing the kids to donkeys again but it has to be proved that he is doing this."

"You mean." Pinocchio said.

"Yes, you must return to Pleasure Island one more time under the Ringmaster's rule. If possible you must find a copy of the Alexandrian curse he is using to present to the Collodi Police. If you remember James Bond and his 1971 world he had gadgets to help facilitate missions like this. I can help you in that department.

The fairy produced a small device form her glowing blue dress and gave it to Pinocchio. "This is a miniature camera from 1971." she said. "It can be used to take pictures of the parts of the roller coaster you described and any donkeys or even more importantly any semi donkeys therein." She reached into her dress and pulled out a similar camera for Lampwick. "And here is one for you too Romeo."

"Yes, but how do these things work." Pinocchio asked. "We aren't from 1971."

"You will notice that there is a sliding part and a button on top and a lens on the side of it." The Blue Fairy said. "To take a picture you press the button and to change to the next picture you move the slide to the left.

Each camera takes about 20 pictures and you will return them to me tomorrow so I can have the pictures developed since there is no way to develop the photographs these cameras take in this time either."

"You mean you want us to go back their tonight?" Lampwick asked. "Don't you think three visits in a row might draw some attention to us."

"If the Ringmaster is changing boys into donkeys like his adoptive father did the sooner it is stopped the better." the Blue Fairy said. "Also we must be ready to check out the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook or anything else tied to the Lost Library of Alexandria to find the way to change the boys already changed back to themselves. Remember this is no longer the red star we are dealing with but a totally new donkey curse from the Lost Library.

Suddenly Geppetto came into the room drawn to it by the conversation. He immediately saw the fairy and asked her. "Why have you come. I thought we were handling this new donkey curse issue pretty good on our own."

"Pinocchio wished me here to supply the last part of the puzzle that he and Romeo could not find on Pleasure Island and I gave it to them." the fairy returned. "Right now a very dangerous time is within for them on Pleasure Island the next time they go there. One that may well be beyond even my powers to handle. Your next actions should be a prayer to God and not a wish to me for their safety. I can tell you only one thing that might protect them, just like with the red star this new donkey curse on that roller coaster only works in conjunction with "jackass" behavior. Avoid the Ringmaster's temptations on Pleasure Island and the roller coaster will be harmless to you, even the "special treatment" track you discovered."

"You mean we will have to ride on that track?" Pinocchio asked.

"Yes," the fairy said. "You must be able to present the police with photographic evidence of exactly what happens in that roller coaster when it is set for "special treatment"."

"I don't think I like this." Geppetto said.

"It has to be done." The fairy returned. "Now you too Geppetto must be ready to be brave truthful and unselfish. Your boys will not change into donkeys if they avoid "jackass" behavior while on the island and this is the only way to return Pleasure Island Collodi to the good under your leadership again."

"Yes, but how do you intend to get them on the "special treatment" track of the roller coaster. Geppetto asked. "They are certainly too well known in urchin or orphan attire to ever be accepted by one of the coaches again."

"Yes, but they can still be accepted as paying customers and simply stay past the time the paying customer ferries leave. The fairy said. "When the paying customers leave is when the park is probably set up for "jackass" behavior and the roller coaster is set for "special treatment"."

Then now its time to go to bed Lampy do we can get up bright and early for school on the Duckburg side tomorrow." Pinocchio said. "To go to that place while or after playing hookey is "jackass" behavior you know." Pinocchio added a little laugh to his statement.

Geppetto did not see the boys' new mission as any kind of a laughing matter. They were going there to deliberately ride on a roller coaster track designed to apply a curse that changed boys to donkeys in order to

photograph the way it happened using some James Bond equipment from 1971. "Geppetto was very afraid for his adopted sons and made silent prayer to God for their protection during this most dangerous of missions they were ever called for with the probable exceptions of those involving Monstros. However he was also very proud of them as probably the most brave, truthful and unselfish boys around and a credit to the Junior Woodchucks, the Boy Scouts or any other youth organization of any world that would have them.

**Next - Back to Pleasure Island for the most dangerous mission of all in the plan to stop and overthrow the Ringmaster, the "specual treatment" track of the roller coaster.**


	5. Pinocchio Reveals Himself

Chapter 5 - Pinocchio Reveals Himself

Pleasure Island Collodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

The third trip to pleasure Island was like the second one. Pinocchio and Lampwick were again playing the part of upper middle class paying customers for the island's attractions. Only one thing would be different this time. They would overstay the 9 o'clock limit on paying customers and mix themselves in again with the regular night time crowd of permanent residents and buys brought in by the midnight coaches. They spent most of their time until 8 o'clock playing harmless carnival games that would not be considered "jackass" behavior. And spent the rest of the time until 9 thirty hiding in the rocks on the North Eastern side of the island.

Bu the use of the lenses on their cameras Pinocchio and lamp wick could get a safe view of the park being prepared for the boys that were to be changed to donkeys that night. Harmless carnival games were replaced with those designed to promote "jackass" behaviors such as vandalism, theft and fight picking on one side of the midway. The other side was a free concession stand consisting of the new Tobacco Row together with beer and wine bars and various types of junk food. The mist coming out of the two clown "mouths" of the roller coaster was now a glowing blue color rather than the normal cloud color. However the worst thing from the point of Pinocchio and Lampwick were the posters being spread throughout the park. They were in Western "wanted" poster style and carried the photographs of Pinocchio and Lampwick either in their Tyrolean outfits or in their Junior Woodchuck uniforms. This definitely indicated that the Ringmaster knew that they come to the island to spy on him and his activities.

"Since they seem to know that we are here I see only one way to go foreword now." Pinocchio said. "That is to announce our presence here in a way that will keep boys from going on that roller coaster. We'll probably get our ride on the "special treatment" track that way and we will save at least some boys in the process."

"Yes, that is if they don't kill us first." Lampwick said. "Sometimes I think those hats the guards are wearing are genuine scorpion stings. We really don't know what kind of magic this Ringmaster is capable of do we. He may just enlarge only the sting on scorpions to make those hats but enlarge the rest of the actual scorpion when he needs it to kill."

"I really doubt that the Ringmaster would want to kill us." Pinocchio said. "He wants to turn us into donkeys just as his adoptive father did, all the more so since it is us who helped put his adoptive father in the Duckburg Penitentiary."

"How do you propose to get down there." Lampwick asked.

"Simple" Pinocchio returned. "We just mix ourselves in with the first coach load of new potential donkey boys to come off the secret ferries."

"Ok," Lampwick returned. "Lets go." He started with Pinocchio down the rock ledges that they were hiding in. Permanent residents from the child boarding areas were already beginning to fill the park but it was already decided that Pinocchio and Lampwick would not mix with these unless they were headed for the roller coaster. They were too well known amongst this group. Rather they snuck around the outskirts of the park toward the oak doors keeping themselves out of sight.

It was too late to save the first donkeys of the night however. They were too far from the roller coaster to stop these early riders. However they did have something they could do for them. They had their cameras and took pictures of a roller coaster car loaded with boys going into the entrance "mouth" of the roller coaster and coming out completely empty some time later. Pinocchio and Lampwick knew all too well what happened to the boys. They rode the "special treatment" track of the roller coaster and turned to anthropomorphic donkeys very soon after breathing the new glowing mist. Their ride probably ended in what was once the school's lunchroom where the donkey change was probably completed and they were shipped of to the salt mines and circuses. The empty roller coaster car would then proceed down the "special treatment" track to the exit "mouth" of the roller coaster.

Pinocchio and lamp wick realized that this was the time to put a stop to this. The ringmaster's Pleasure island was now fully engaged in its business of gaining filthy lucre from boys changed into donkeys.

Pinocchio thought for a while of Monstros that were now probably venomous scorpions rather than whales residing in the hats of the guards and giving them their unique appearance but now was not the time to quit.

The Ringmaster had to be stopped now."

Pinocchio ran toward the roller coaster as fast as his feet could carry him. However when he reached the stair to the roller coaster cars he still had the strength to shout to the boys preparing for their boy to donkey ride. "WAIT, DON'T GET ON THAT ROLLER COASTER! IT'S NOT SAFE! IT WILL TURN YOU INTO A DONKEY THE SAME WAY THE RINGMASTER'S ADOPTIVE FATHER USED TO!

"Who are you to tell us what to do on Pleasure Island!" one of the boys in the roller coaster car said. Then he looked at one of the wanted posters that was put up on the roller coaster wall between the entrance and exit "mouths".

"HAY!" The boy shouted. "THAT'S ONE OF THE JUNIOR WOODCHUCKS THE RINGMASTER IS LOOKING FOR!" THERE ARE JUNIOR WOODCHUCKS IN HERE!" The other boys near the roller coaster continued the shouting chant of the original one. "WOODCHUCKS!, WOODCHUCKS!, WOODCHUCKS!.

Finally the Ringmaster arrived at the site of the commotion near the Roller coaster with a Junior Woodchucks hat in one hand and one of his wanted posters in the other. He immediately went to the well dressed boy that the others were holding at the roller coaster stairs took off his derby hat and put the Junior Woodchuck hat in its place on his head.

"Well, Well, Well, What have we here!" the Ringmaster said looking at his wanted poster. "Don't you know that girls, parents, teachers, truant officers and Junior Woodchucks are not allowed on Pleasure Island on this side of your barrel ride EVER?"

"That's not the way my father intended it to be." Pinocchio returned.

"Well. Your father is no longer in charge of things. As for the boys here you will get the extra candy promised and maybe a little more because I have to shut down this ride for five days pending the investigation of any sabotage on it these Junior Woodchucks might have done on it while here. And now Pinocchio, where is the other one?"

"Right behind you, Ringmaster." Lampwick's voice came.

"Good," The Ringmaster returned. "We'll just put you two on the last ride for this roller coaster tonight and let whatever you might have done to it fall upon you rather than some other boy."

Pinocchio and Lampwick were all too aware of what the Ringmaster was really up to. He was going to put them and them alone on the last ride of the roller coaster's "special treatment" track for five days while allowing the rest of the boys 5 extra days of humanity as their "reward" for ratting Pinocchio and Lampwick out.

The Ringmaster summoned his guards who removed their hats and pointed their hooked stinger sections toward Pinocchio and Lampwick. It was at this point that they knew that Lampwick's theoretical origin of the hats was true. They were actually scorpions whose stings have been magically enlarged. They knew that they could probably turn into complete monster scorpions at the Ringmaster's bidding each one as monstrous a deadly threat as Monstro was in their own way. Pinocchio and Lampwick really had no choice but to get in the roller coaster car waiting for them but neither did they really want one. They came here for a chance to photograph the entire procedure of the "special treatment" track knowing from the Blue Fairy that they would not turn to donkeys on it and now the opportunity presented itself.

Once the coaster started and they were well past the entrance mouth the nature of the ride changed from the first time they had ridden it. Now they were in a curved but mostly downward track headed for the school. Occasionally red jets of mist would be added to the usual blue glowing mist giving it a brownish color. This was evidently what turned the boys into donkeys when enough "jackass" behavior had built up in them for it to work. Pinocchio and Lampwick were particularly quick to photograph these red spurts of mist. This ride ended for them in the school lunchroom which was now stabling facilities where the car turned to a 45 degree angle and dumped them out while more spurts of red mist from the floor, apparently the final touch that would change most of the boys to full donkeys on a single ride of the "special treatment" track. In one of the Prison cell stables they saw the final evidence they needed. There was one anthropomorphic donkey that did not fully change in one of the prison cell stables. Only one of the scorpion sting hat bearing guards was present to keep an eye on them. Apparently the full donkeys were already shipped out for sale by the others.

"What's happening here." the single donkey boy said. "I thought this donkey thing ended here months ago."

Pinocchio got up and said. "I would like to know that myself."

"Well, you two did not change at all which means that you probably won't." the guard said. "That means there is only one way to handle your case now." The guard took off his hat and placed it on the floor. He made some arcane hand signs over it and then ran away as fast as he could. Suddenly a great complete scorpion's tail sprang from it where only the sting was before. Within a minute the whole venomous monster complete with body, eight legs and pincered pedepalps came to life. Lampwick was right about the nature of the hats.

"I remember in the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook that those things are virtually blind at the side." Pinocchio said. "Their eyes are at the top of their heads and they can only see up. They depend upon their pincers to sense things in front of them. Avoid the pincers and you wont get stung."

Lampwick was not too sure of that. "But where can we go where that thing or something like coming from another of those hats wont get us."

"Remember, Lampwick," Pinocchio said. "No "jackass" behavior. "Be brave truthful and unselfish. That thing is nothing more than a venomous land Monstro and we have dealt with Monstro before. I'm certain we can deal with this threat as well. But first thing's first. We try not to draw the Monstro scorpion's attention while rescuing the donkey boy before he can be fully changed or killed by one of these creatures. He is the final evidence we need to get this island back."

"Hay, I know you." the donkey boy said. "Your Geppetto's kids."

"Yes, we are." Lampwick returned. "But keep things quiet. We don't know how those scorpion's are with sound."

"But how do you kill that thing." The donkey boy asked.

"I think there is a way to do it." Lampwick said. "But you will have to function as the bait."

"What do I have to do?" the donkey boy said.

"Just bray and draw that thing to you while we open the slide down door to your stable for feeding purposes." Lampwick said. "It should have enough weight to kill the thing."

The donkey boy then started braying and Pinocchio and Lampwick lifted the slide down door together providing an apparent unimpeded path for the monster scorpion to the donkey boy. Once it was about half way through Pinocchio and lamp wick dropped the door on it and ran as fast as they could to avoid the lashing of the venomous sting bearing tail. Every time the tail hit wood torrents of milky venom flowed down it. Soon however all tail lashing and stinging attempts on the part of the monster had ended. It was dead. Once the threat from the monster scorpion had ended Pinocchio slid up the door and lamp wick dragged the carcass of the scorpion out of the way.

"Remember that each one of those hats the guards are wearing is another one of those things waiting to go full size and pounce." Lampwick said.

"And we will probably have a better way to deal with it." Pinocchio said. "At any rate we have better evidence of what the Ringmaster is doing in this poor boy here than we would have ever had with the Photographs. I sure hope that the Blue Fairy can change him and the others back to their normal selves."

"I believe that the way out of here is to follow this track the rest of this track to the exit "mouth" of the roller coaster."

"But what about me." the donkey boy said.

"I don't know yet but I can tell you one thing." Pinocchio said. "Being brave, truthful and unselfish is what usually gets donkeys or puppets, which I was twice changed back to real boys in the end. You in your present form can stop the Ringmaster simply by appearing at the nearest police station. I think that Is what the Fairy might want of you to change you back."

"Well then lets go." Pinocchio said.

Soon Pinocchio, Lampwick and the donkey boy were following the track that continued through the school lunchroom that was now stables and into another curved misty corridor on the same downward direction till it finally went upward and level toward the exit "mouth" of the roller coaster. Lampwick forced its "teeth" doors open and the donkey boy was the first one to emerge. He let out a loud bray so everyone would hear him and then spoke. "These Junior Woodchucks are RIGHT!" the donkey boy said. "The Ringmaster is continuing his adoptive father's evil works and I'm proof of it."

Suddenly the Ringmaster came out of the boy crowd. "So you are too goody goody to change." he practically growled at Pinocchio and Lampwick. "Well I've still got a couple more tricks from the Lost Library of Alexandria up my sleeve. You wonder why I used scorpions as weapons for my guards. Well in really ancient Egypt before the known dynasties scorpions were the equivalent of the cobra and vulture of Dynastic Egypt a sign of the king. Therefore a lot of the very early parts of the Lost Library have to do with scorpion magic and you are about to meet its greatest trick of all LAND MONSTRO. With a wave of the Ringmaster's hand what appeared to at first be an oddly shaped tower top morphed into a gigantic scorpion tail with the body, legs and pincers appearing moments later as a scorpion the size of the late whale Monstro began to develop.

"As for me," the Ringmaster said. "I'm using some more of the Library's magic to take a little hop to the American west in the old year of 1881 of a world where we are only known as fairy tale characters. It seems the law in a place called Tombstone in the Arizona territory is too obsessed with a gang named the Clantons

To be interested in the probability that a some Native American or Pioneer brats might make the profitable change to donkeys for me and has a guy who is pretty much of a crook himself named "Doc" Holliday on their side. But first I think I may break my adoptive father out of the Duckburg clink so that he can participate in my latest venture. In the meantime I must bid ado to all of you quickie dinners for Land Monstro, the great King Scorpion.

Lampwick realized that the great scorpion was a far worse threat. Than anything that preceded it. The sharp part of its sting was as long as a cavalry saber and could kill alone without the instantly deadly venom it carried. Forthermore if the monster was not dealt with its victims would not be simply swallowed like with a whale. Scorpions digested their food in its own body outside their bellies. This alone made this monster far worse than Monstro. Most of the boys on Pleasure Island could do nothing but hide in the various parts of the Amusement park and quake in fear as the giant pincers blotted out the sun far more effectively than any cloud could. This was followed by the body which liked like a virtually permanent dark storm until it gradually narrowed into the up swung venomous tail.

Just like with his father and the first Monstro it was Pinocchio who came up with the idea of how to handle the great Scorpion. Just because it was called Land Monstro by the Ringmaster did not mean it was Monstro. The real Monstro was a water based vertibrate, this monster was a land based invertibrate. It was in no way capable of dealing with life in the water, Especially the deep waters off Pleasure Islands north east cliffs. Pinocchio went immediately into action with his plan and faced the great scorpion mano on mano. As soon as the monster got too close for comfort Pinocchio would back up about 50 feet and then let it close in on him again."

"What are you doing!" Lampwick shouted. "If that thing catches you, you will wind up a digested hulk that isn't even a puppet."

"I'm duplicating what I did to escape this island with Jiminy when you were changed to a donkey on our first trip here. Pinocchio returned. "I'm hoping I can get old sharp tail to go over the cliffs with me and drown itself." Already Pinocchio was climbing the rocks on the northeast side of the island with the monster scorpion in pursuit. When he reached the edge of the cliffs Pinocchio performed a spectacular cliff dive and the pursuing monster scorpion no longer sure footed like its tiny relatives toppled in after him.

The scorpion hit the cliff face several times and was probably dead before it hit the water. Once again just like with both Monstros Pinocchio's bravery, truthfulness, unselfishness and intelligence conquered a monster created by evil magic. He took a victory swim around the island and got out of the water on the new southwestern dock that was to be used for shipping donkeys. From there he easily found his way to what would again be the school's lunchroom and around the exit end of the "special treatment" track and out the exit "mouth" of the roller coaster.

Needless to say Pinocchio was greeted with a hero's welcome by every boy on Pleasure Island on this second appearance at the roller coaster's exit. Already what might be called good vandalism in the form of dismantling enough of the "special treatment" track of the roller coaster to disconnect it from the main track and render the ride safe again was under way by the boys themselves. Soon Junior Woodchucks not infected with "jackass" behavior would be here to complete the dismantlement of the "special treatment" track and turning the stables back into a school. Soon it would be morning and the official ferries would arrive to receive the message that the Ringmaster was gone and that he was changing boys into donkeys with the evidence of the one donkey boy left behind to show for proof of it. The charities connected with Pleasure Island would demand a closing of the Ringmaster's right to run a children's institution anywhere in Italy

And his immediate imprisonment and trial upon his capture and Geppetto would once again become the owner of Pleasure Island Collodi.

Next - Geppetto returns to Pleasure Island.


	6. Epilog Geppetto Returns

Chapter 6 - Epilog Geppetto Returns

Pleasure Island, Collodi, Tuscany Italy, 1882:

The official ferries came with the sunrise as usual and with them the paying customers for the amusement park that gave the island its legitimate income. However those first paying customers were greeted by quite a shock. They found Pleasure Island set up much like the park of old designed to elicit "jackass" behavior on the part of the participants in its activities. Those brave enough to go up the rock ledges at the island's North Eastern side could still see the carcass of the great scorpion that threatened the lives of everyone in the park the night before. However before the day was out the fishes, seabirds and smaller whales would finish it off. They would see the roller coaster having tracks that once led to the school now disconnected and partially destroyed from it. Finally they would see the proof of what happened in the form of the single surviving anthropomorphic donkey boy that Pinocchio had found. At the sight of him it was obvious something went on pleasure island that the police would eventually have to deal with.

Well before the morning passed into the afternoon rumors of giant scorpions and boys changing into donkeys again spread throughout Tuscany and a hue and cry began for the Ringmaster's arrest and for Geppetto to return as the administrator of Pleasure Island. As the afternoon started it was determined that the Ringmaster was to be found no where in Tuscany and Pleasure Island's ownership reverted to Coloddi.

Geppetto was given the official go ahead for his return at about one o'clock. Wanted posters offering lavish rewards were set up on Pleasure Island, Collodi and eventually all of Italy but still the Ringmaster was nowhere to be seen.

Geppetto officially arrived to re take the administration of Pleasure Island on one of the last daytime official ferries to arrive. He looked around and saw that there was pretty much of a mess that he would have to deal with, particularly concerning the roller coaster and the school. His idea for the coaster was to restore it to being an open air ride again but with a more elaborate track than a simple circle in order to bring in new paying customers. Of course all midway activities designed to promote "jackass" behavior had to go to, in favor of more conventional skill based carnival games. The school having been converted to donkey stables had to the most diligent restoration effort of everything on the island which meant that the kids on the island including Pinocchio and Lampwick would have to attend school on the Duckburg Pleasure Island until the mess created by the Ringmaster And his monster scorpion was fully restored to Geppetto's original ideas.

Only one more thing had to be done before the day of the Restoration of Geppetto's dreams for the Islands was over. The double barrel ride connection between Pleasure Island in Collodi and Pleasure Island in Duckburg had to be restored. For this operation Lampwick whacked the padlock off the Ball shaped building that covered up the barrel ride and inserted his key in the main lock. It still worked and Geppetto sent Pinocchio across into Duckburg to restore the original connection between the two Islands.

Pleasure Island, Duckburg, Calisota, 1956:

Huey Duck heard the warning bell signifying that the barrel ride connection had just been used from the Collodi side. Needless to say his original worry was it was the Ringmaster using the connection to claim the Duckburg Pleasure Island as well. However his worry turned into joy when he saw it was Pinocchio who used the Collodi barrel ride. This could mean only one thing, Geppetto was back in charge of the Collodi Pleasure Island again. The Ringmaster would certainly never have let one of Geppetto's family use the baarrel ride while he was in charge.

"We have Pleasure Island Collodi back!" Pinocchio shouted joyfully. "I've come back here to reload the blue star in the barrel ride here to restore the connection between the two islands and worlds."

"We have it right here." Huey said going over to a safe that had a Junior Woodchucks symbol on it. He opened the safe and returned with the glass box containing the blue star. Pinocchio was given the honor of replacing it in the compartment that activated the barrel ride's wormhole after which he returned the copy of the Junior Woodchuck's guidebook that generated the connection to Geppetto's toymaker's shop to Huey.

"Well," Pinocchio said. "I think I'll see you tomorrow. Lampwick and I will be attending school here because the Ringmaster made a first class mess out of the school on Pleasure Island Collodi that will probably take at least a month to fix."

"I'll be looking foreword to that." Huey returned. "and so will Dewey, Louie and the resto fo the Junior Woodchucks. Needless to say Geppetto will have the help of the Junior Woodchucks and several adult charitable organizations as well on both sides of the connection to restore the mess that the ringmaster Created."

Once again Pinocchio said. "Goodby for now, see you soon!" as he mounted the stairs of the barrel ride and passed through it to the Collodi side.

Geppetto's bedroom, Preasure Island, Collodi, Tuscany, Italy, 1882:

"I just had a strange dream." Pinocchio told his father as he was waking up.

"Tell, me about it." Geppetto returned.

"Well I was in the west of America like the Dodge city of Marshal Dillon only It wasn't Dodge. It was some town in the Arizona Territory named gravestone, tombstone or something like that. In the dream I was a puppet again and was getting ready to conquer a pair of Arizona Bark Scorpions as large and as powerful as the scorpion monster that the Ringmaster set loose here on Pleasure Island when he lost control of it at the exact time as thirty gunshots sounded off in about thirty seconds from the other side of the street I was on. Furthermore this appears to be around the period that my original puppet body was carved but in another timeline." was Pinocchio's response.

"It looks like the Blue Fairy is calling you again," Geppetto returned. "The Ringmaster is still loose you know. Maybe he used some of his Alexandrian magic to get to this Tombstone place. I think we may be space and time traveling again soon."

"I wonder why the blue fairy always chooses us for these missions." Pinocchio said. "If they are to prove myself I think I would have done that by now."

"No, I think it's more than just that." Geppetto said. "The fairy once told me than when a wish is granted she becomes responsible for the person or persons involved for his, her or their entire lifespan. Well maybe that applies to the persons granted the wish too. They become responsible for the rest of the worlds and can be called upon by the Fairy whenever they are needed to do things conventional society and peace officers can't do. Take as a for instance the Ringmaster if he is truly in this Tombstone place in 1881 in another timeline so that his existence there does not interfere with his previous life here in 1881. Well from what I know the Peace officers of this tombstone place even in the other timeline you saw are still Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp. They will be simply too busy to look for an Italian East African criminal in their midst if it is really the time in 1881 that was near the carving of your original body in this timeline. You see, I think those gunshots you heard while confronting the scorpions in your dream were the event in Western History

Known as the shootout or gunfight at the OK Corral. It really does seem that under such circumstances that we are the only ones who can take up the persuit of people like the Coachman and the Ringmaster as we are about the only ones who know of their existence when they flee to other timelines."

"Well it all sounds right." Pinocchio said, "except for one thing. If it is the Ringmaster again why TWO Arizona Bark Scorpions rather than just one?"

"That is something we will have to find out from the Blue Fairy or whoever else has the information when it comes."

With Geppetto's explanation Pinocchio could return to bed. He still wondered if he may have to be a puppet again as his dream showed but even if he did he simply took it in stride knowing he would be returned to being a boy again as soon as this mysterious mission was over.

**End of this Fan Fic.**

**Next - New Fan Fic - Pinocchio In Tombstone. In this one Pinocchio VOLUNTAIRILY becomes a puppet again in persuit of both the Ringmaster and the Coachman who is broken out of the Duckburg Prison by the Ringmaster. For this mission Pinocchio receives a magic "Peacemaker" that does not kill but rather works as a wormhole when its hammer drops to confine all evil magic and creations of evil magic in glass cylinders similar to that the blue star connecting the Collodi and Duckburg Pleasure Islands.**


End file.
